The Ministry of Education has expressed shock at the University Teachers Association of Ghana’s (UTAG) threat to embark on an industrial strike.
“We are very much surprised that they have decided to embark on strike if their allowances are not paid by the 15th,” said the Public Relations Officer of the Education Ministry, Paul Krampah.
According to him, it is unfair for UTAG members to make that threat and issue that ultimatum because the Ministry is doing its possible best to ensure lecturers are able to undertake research through other means.
UTAG has threatened an industrial action if the National Council for Tertiary Education and other stakeholders do not initiate processes to pay their book and research allowances for the 2013/2014 academic year by next week.
Mr. Krampah told Citi News, the Ministry was still in talks with UTAG on this issue hence, their surprise at the association’s latest decision.
He mentioned that the current funds available to the University lecturers is not adequate for them to conduct any meaningful research therefore, “we as a Ministry, we feel that there should be a fund where a lot of lecturers could access and then undertake very meaningful research.”
The Ministry PRO revealed some committees were set up to negotiate with the lectures “but they didn’t actually participate.”
He is subsequently urging the leadership of UTAG to come back to the negotiating table for deliberations to begin on the proposed research fund.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana